Chapter 417: 416, you call him dad more naturally than I do.

Gu Family

When Shen Yuting’s mother called, Gu Kai was about to go to bed.

Seeing the call, a flicker of confusion crossed his ink-coloured eyes. He pressed the answer key, his clear voice spilling from his thin lips: “Auntie, Happy New Year!”

“Ah Kai, I have something to ask you.”

Recognizing the anomaly in the other’s tone, Gu Kai paused slightly, “Auntie, what’s the matter?”

“Does Yuting have a boyfriend now?”

Gu Kai, leaning against the head of the bed, sat up abruptly. A touch of contemplation flickered in his eyes, he gently answered, “Auntie, I haven’t heard Yuting say so. So, does she have a boyfriend?”

Ever since the night of Wen Ran’s birthday, when Shen Yuting caused a commotion at his home and he scolded her severely, she had been avoiding him these days.

In the past, during the Spring Festival, Shen Yuting would also stick to him, wanting to hang out with them.

Yesterday was New Year’s Eve, but she didn’t call him. Naturally, he knew that in the past, it was because of Mo Xiuchen, and this year, Mo Xiuchen was with Ranran…

He thought that Shen Yuting had returned home to celebrate the New Year with her parents.

On the phone, Mother Shen’s voice carried a mixture of three parts confusion and two parts worry, “Yuting has always been close to you, told you everything. If she didn’t tell you, she naturally wouldn’t tell us, but, I noticed something unusual about her. If she doesn’t have a boyfriend, then why would she…”

Mother Shen didn’t finish her sentence.

Gu Kai’s eyebrows knitted together, and his mind turned, pretty much understanding what she was about to say, which made him feel slightly startled.

From childhood to adulthood, he had always treated Shen Yuting like his biological sister, even when he found Ranran, his brotherly affection towards Shen Yuting had not lessened. But he did chatise her a few times about the Mo Xiuchen matter.

Perhaps, Shen Yuting might think that since he found Ranran, he no longer cared about her.

“Auntie, perhaps you’re overthinking things. Yuting is a very determined girl. She wouldn’t do something foolish, let alone be with any man easily.”

“No, I just walked into her room without knocking and saw her changing clothes. Ah Kai, my eyes are not so blurred that I’m seeing things wrong. Yuting’s body has many marks. Last night, she didn’t even come back to have New Year’s Eve dinner with us. She only returned home late at night.”

Mother Shen paused before speaking again, “Ah Kai, no matter what I ask, Yuting won’t tell me. I thought of calling you. You always spoil her. You ask her if anything has happened.”

“Alright, I will ask Yuting.”

Gu Kai pursed his thin lips, thinking quietly, Shen Yuting wouldn’t have degraded herself because of the hurt she received from Xiuchen, would she?

After hanging up the phone, he didn’t immediately call Shen Yuting. Instead, he got out of bed, sat on the couch, picked up a cigarette from the coffee table and lit one. He took a puff, elegantly blew out a ring of smoke. His brows furrowed slightly as he fell into deep thought.

On the second day of the lunar new year, Wen Ran and Mo Xiuchen woke up together.

Today, the weather was clear. Early in the morning, sunlight streamed in through the window, illuminating the warm interior.

“Ranran, let’s first pay a New Year’s visit to your brother, Wen Jin. Around noon, we’ll head over to my father’s place for a meal.”

During breakfast, Mo Xiuchen was planning the day’s itinerary. Wen Ran was drinking milk, nodding without objection, “Anywhere is fine. We’ll go wherever you say.”

“You got some on your mouth.”

Mo Xiuchen flashed a smile, pulled out a piece of napkin, and went to wipe her mouth for her.

“By the way, since we aren’t home today, should we give Nanny Zhang and her family some time off? Actually, we don’t have to work these few days, so we can let them have some more time off.”

Wen Ran reached out for the napkin, but Mo Xiuchen avoided her with a smile. She could only obediently let him wipe off the traces of milk at the corners of her mouth.

“Yeah, no problem, I’ll talk to Nanny Zhang and Housekeeper Uncle Liu later. Little Liu hasn’t been in a good mood these days. It might be a good idea for them to take him back to their hometown for a few days. They can visit their relatives and relax a little.”

Speaking of Little Liu, Wen Ran thought of Tong Shishi. A touch of concern crossed her brows and she lowered her voice to ask, “How is Tong Shishi doing? She hasn’t bothered Little Liu these days, has she?”

“She had a miscarriage and is recuperating at home.”

Mo Xiuchen said it casually, but Wen Ran was shocked, “Tong Shishi had a miscarriage?”

Seeing her puzzled look, Mo Xiuchen gave a faint smile and gently explained, “It’s not because I forced her to abort the child. It so happened that she ran into an old lover’s wife that day and was beaten up by her and her sisters. Unfortunately, she miscarried.”

Wen Ran kind of understood, but not entirely.

“So, it was because of her scandal with Mo Zixuan last time that the wife found out about her.”

Mo Xiuchen nodded, “Yes, it’s her own fault. What goes around comes around. Even though this sort of thing takes two, in the eyes of others, she seduced another woman’s husband. Getting beaten up for it is all too normal.”

“Does Little Liu know about this?”

Wen Ran thought for a moment and asked hesitantly.

Mo Xiuchen’s expression turned cold, “He knows, not only about Tong Shishi’s miscarriage, but also that during the time he was with her, she was also involved with other men. The baby in her stomach, we don’t even know who the father is.”

Wen Ran furrowed her brows and fell silent.

“Ranran, had I known it would make you upset, I wouldn’t have told you.”

Mo Xiuchen’s eyes flickered with a hint of melancholy. Seeing Wen Ran quietly eating breakfast with her head bowed, he let out a soft sigh and spoke with some self-reproach.

Wen Ran looked up and gave him a smile, “No, I just feel sorry for Little Liu. I hope he can meet a girl who is truly worthy of his affection.”

Only then did Mo Xiuchen relax, a smile on his face as he said, “He will. Didn’t dad say that night, everyone has their own fate, and will find their own happiness.”

“You call him dad more naturally than I do.”

Wen Ran teased.

Mo Xiuchen raised his eyebrows proudly, “Of course, your dad is my dad too. If I don’t call him more often, what am I supposed to do if they’re not satisfied.”

After finishing her milk, Wen Ran stood up and said to the still-eating Mo Xiuchen, “No one can hear you right now. You better concentrate on your breakfast. I’ll check if Nanny Zhang has prepared the medicine and let her know about her leave.”

“Okay!”

Mo Xiuchen nodded. He had no objections to what she said.

Nanny Zhang and Housekeeper Uncle Liu had been working for him for over thirty years. Since his mother married Mo Jingteng, they had been working for the Mo family. Later, when his mother committed suicide by jumping off the building and he moved out, Nanny Zhang and Housekeeper Uncle Liu became his family.

Even during the Spring Festival, they would stay on and rarely went home.

As Ranran said, now that they aren’t working these few days, they should give Nanny Zhang and Housekeeper Uncle Liu some time off, and let them have a proper New Year celebration too.

A few minutes later, Wen Ran came out carrying a tray herself, which was accompanied by a familiar scent of medicinal herbs.